Yesterday, we reported on the security flaw in Windows 7's UAC slider dialog, and today, Microsoft has given a response to the situation, but it doesn't seem like the company intends to fix it. "This is not a vulnerability. The intent of the default configuration of UAC is that users don't get prompted when making changes to Windows settings. This includes changing the UAC prompting level." I hope this reply came from a marketing drone, because if they intend on keeping this behaviour as-is in Windows 7 RTM, they're going to face a serious shitstorm - and rightfully so. Let's hope the Sinfoskies and Larson-Greens at Microsoft rectify this situation as soon as possible.

No. For this (the proposed exploit) to even propagate on the system, he'd need to authorize it to run, which would trigger UAC.

That's the angle from which it's looked at by Microsoft: It cannot be remotely exploited without social engineering, the user needs to have already run the program (And consented with UAC) before any of this is allowed to happen.

You're talking about the program already executing on the users machine, which means UAC has one way or the other already been defeated.

Like I said, in cases of social engineering, if the user is gullible, not one UAC dialog, or ten UAC dialogs will be able to stop him from being exploited.

No. For this (the proposed exploit) to even propagate on the system, he'd need to authorize it to run, which would trigger UAC.

That's the angle from which it's looked at by Microsoft: It cannot be remotely exploited without social engineering, the user needs to have already run the program (And consented with UAC) before any of this is allowed to happen.

And how do you suppose most malware gets on a user's machine, through osmosis?

If it promises nude pics of Angelina Jolie, they WILL run it! MS needs to make UAC prompt if there are any changes to its setting under ANY circumstances.